The present invention relates to a sample taking device for toxic and/or radioactive substances with the device performing turning and lifting movements and being provided with a needle head filling system for at least one sample vessel. The device can be moved to the needle head filling system and to an inlet and outlet conduit by means of the turning and lifting movement performed on a rotatable cylinder.
Such a sample taking device is known from German Pat. No. 2,642,065 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,382. However, that device has considerable drawbacks. For example, the regions of the needle heads and of the rotational transport of the sample vessels have dimensions which make shielding in the highly active region difficult. The arrangement of the needles in an upward orientation, i.e. placement of the sample vessels onto the needles from the top to the bottom, requires long needle lengths and easily causes the needles to bend. Moreover, the sample vessels can be filled with sample solution only to a maximum of 75% of their volume. Additionally, the mechanism and structure of the lifting drive is excessively complicated, requiring three lifting cylinders, which are massive structures, and the needle heads cannot be exchanged under conditions of high activity shielding.